Birthstones

A birthstone is a gift of a precious material that symbolizes the month of birth. There have been many different sets of birthstones used throughout history and in different cultures. In 1912, in an effort to standardize them, the American national association of jewelers, Jewelers of America, officially adopted the following list; it is currently the most widely used list in the United States and many other locations, including Australia and Thailand.

Birthmonth Primary Stone Alternate Stone
January Garnet
February Amethyst
March Aquamarine
April Diamond
May Emerald
June Pearl Alexandrite
July Ruby
August Peridot
September Sapphire
October Opal Tourmaline
November Citrine Topaz
December Tanzanite

Zodiac stones

An astrological version of the birthstones exists using the twelve zodiac signs instead of the twelve calendar months. Listed below are the dates for the tropical sun signs and their associated birthstone.

Sign Birthstone
Aries (March 21 - April 19) Diamond
Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Emerald
Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Crystal
Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Pearl
Leo (July 23 - August 22) Onyx
Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Sapphire
Libra (September 23 - October 23) Opal
Scorpio (October 24 - November 21) Zircon
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) Turquoise
Capricorn (December 22 - January 21) Garnet
Aquarius (January 22 - February 18) Amethyst
Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Aquamarine